diff --git a/electron/src/electron.ts b/electron/src/electron.ts
index 3b005c0b2..69b0b95b4 100644
--- a/electron/src/electron.ts
+++ b/electron/src/electron.ts
@@ -81,6 +81,10 @@ const app = startTrilium({
   setupCompleteCallback: () => {
     windowService.createMainWindow(electron.app);
     windowService.closeSetupWindow();
+  },
+
+  getInitialTheme() {
+    return electron.nativeTheme.shouldUseDarkColors ? 'dark' : 'light';
   }
 });
 electronRouting(app);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/server/src/app.ts b/server/src/app.ts
index 0300d3e06..03e9eb338 100644
--- a/server/src/app.ts
+++ b/server/src/app.ts
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ import helmet = require('helmet');
 import compression = require('compression');
 import sessionParser = require('./routes/session_parser');
 import utils = require('./services/utils');
-import { RouteConfig } from './routes/types';
+import { AppConfig } from './types';
 
-function buildApp(routeConfig: RouteConfig) {
+function buildApp(appConfig: AppConfig) {
     require('./services/handlers');
     require('./becca/becca_loader');
     
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ function buildApp(routeConfig: RouteConfig) {
     app.use(favicon(`${__dirname}/../../common/images/app-icons/win/icon.ico`));
     
     require('./routes/assets').register(app);
-    require('./routes/routes').register(app, routeConfig);
+    require('./routes/routes').register(app, appConfig);
     require('./routes/custom').register(app);
     require('./routes/error_handlers').register(app);
     
diff --git a/server/src/index.ts b/server/src/index.ts
index f3d30879c..032638bf0 100644
--- a/server/src/index.ts
+++ b/server/src/index.ts
@@ -3,5 +3,10 @@ import startTrilium = require("./www");
 startTrilium({
     setupCompleteCallback: (res) => {
         res.redirect('.');
+    },
+    
+    getInitialTheme() {
+        // default based on the poll in https://github.com/zadam/trilium/issues/2516
+        return "dark";
     }
 });
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/server/src/routes/api/setup.ts b/server/src/routes/api/setup.ts
index 9e63a2331..ff5b5b842 100644
--- a/server/src/routes/api/setup.ts
+++ b/server/src/routes/api/setup.ts
@@ -5,56 +5,61 @@ import setupService = require('../../services/setup');
 import log = require('../../services/log');
 import appInfo = require('../../services/app_info');
 import { Request } from 'express';
+import { InitDbOptions } from '../../types';
 
-function getStatus() {
-    return {
-        isInitialized: sqlInit.isDbInitialized(),
-        schemaExists: sqlInit.schemaExists(),
-        syncVersion: appInfo.syncVersion
-    };
-}
-
-async function setupNewDocument() {
-    await sqlInit.createInitialDatabase();
-}
-
-function setupSyncFromServer(req: Request) {
-    const { syncServerHost, syncProxy, password } = req.body;
-
-    return setupService.setupSyncFromSyncServer(syncServerHost, syncProxy, password);
-}
-
-function saveSyncSeed(req: Request) {
-    const { options, syncVersion } = req.body;
-
-    if (appInfo.syncVersion !== syncVersion) {
-        const message = `Could not setup sync since local sync protocol version is ${appInfo.syncVersion} while remote is ${syncVersion}. To fix this issue, use same Trilium version on all instances.`;
-
-        log.error(message);
-
-        return [400, {
-            error: message
-        }]
+function buildRoutes(initOptions: InitDbOptions) {
+    function getStatus() {
+        return {
+            isInitialized: sqlInit.isDbInitialized(),
+            schemaExists: sqlInit.schemaExists(),
+            syncVersion: appInfo.syncVersion
+        };
     }
-
-    log.info("Saved sync seed.");
-
-    sqlInit.createDatabaseForSync(options);
-}
-
-function getSyncSeed() {
-    log.info("Serving sync seed.");
-
+    
+    async function setupNewDocument() {
+        await sqlInit.createInitialDatabase(initOptions);
+    }
+    
+    function setupSyncFromServer(req: Request) {
+        const { syncServerHost, syncProxy, password } = req.body;
+    
+        return setupService.setupSyncFromSyncServer(syncServerHost, syncProxy, password, initOptions);
+    }
+    
+    function saveSyncSeed(req: Request) {
+        const { options, syncVersion } = req.body;
+    
+        if (appInfo.syncVersion !== syncVersion) {
+            const message = `Could not setup sync since local sync protocol version is ${appInfo.syncVersion} while remote is ${syncVersion}. To fix this issue, use same Trilium version on all instances.`;
+    
+            log.error(message);
+    
+            return [400, {
+                error: message
+            }]
+        }
+    
+        log.info("Saved sync seed.");
+    
+        sqlInit.createDatabaseForSync(options, initOptions);
+    }
+    
+    function getSyncSeed() {
+        log.info("Serving sync seed.");
+    
+        return {
+            options: setupService.getSyncSeedOptions(),
+            syncVersion: appInfo.syncVersion
+        };
+    }
+    
     return {
-        options: setupService.getSyncSeedOptions(),
-        syncVersion: appInfo.syncVersion
+        getStatus,
+        setupNewDocument,
+        setupSyncFromServer,
+        getSyncSeed,
+        saveSyncSeed
     };
 }
 
-export = {
-    getStatus,
-    setupNewDocument,
-    setupSyncFromServer,
-    getSyncSeed,
-    saveSyncSeed
-};
+export = buildRoutes;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/server/src/routes/routes.ts b/server/src/routes/routes.ts
index 8e9577799..339b5dd38 100644
--- a/server/src/routes/routes.ts
+++ b/server/src/routes/routes.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ import recentNotesRoute = require('./api/recent_notes');
 import appInfoRoute = require('./api/app_info');
 import exportRoute = require('./api/export');
 import importRoute = require('./api/import');
-import setupApiRoute = require('./api/setup');
+import buildSetupRoute = require('./api/setup');
 import sqlRoute = require('./api/sql');
 import databaseRoute = require('./api/database');
 import imageRoute = require('./api/image');
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ import etapiSpecialNoteRoutes = require('../etapi/special_notes');
 import etapiSpecRoute = require('../etapi/spec');
 import etapiBackupRoute = require('../etapi/backup');
 import { AppRequest, AppRequestHandler } from './route-interface';
-import { RouteConfig } from './types';
+import { AppConfig } from '../types';
 
 const csrfMiddleware = csurf({
     cookie: {
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ const uploadMiddlewareWithErrorHandling = function (req: express.Request, res: e
     });
 };
 
-function register(app: express.Application, config: RouteConfig) {
+function register(app: express.Application, appConfig: AppConfig) {
     route(GET, '/', [auth.checkAuth, csrfMiddleware], indexRoute.index);
     route(GET, '/login', [auth.checkAppInitialized, auth.checkPasswordSet], loginRoute.loginPage);
     route(GET, '/set-password', [auth.checkAppInitialized, auth.checkPasswordNotSet], loginRoute.setPasswordPage);
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ function register(app: express.Application, config: RouteConfig) {
     route(PST, '/login', [loginRateLimiter], loginRoute.login);
     route(PST, '/logout', [csrfMiddleware, auth.checkAuth], loginRoute.logout);
     route(PST, '/set-password', [auth.checkAppInitialized, auth.checkPasswordNotSet], loginRoute.setPassword);
-    route(GET, '/setup', [], setupRoute.buildSetupRoute(config.setupCompleteCallback));
+    route(GET, '/setup', [], setupRoute.buildSetupRoute(appConfig.setupCompleteCallback));
 
     apiRoute(GET, '/api/tree', treeApiRoute.getTree);
     apiRoute(PST, '/api/tree/load', treeApiRoute.load);
@@ -241,6 +241,7 @@ function register(app: express.Application, config: RouteConfig) {
     route(GET, '/api/health-check', [], () => ({ "status": "ok" }), apiResultHandler);
 
     // group of the services below are meant to be executed from the outside
+    const setupApiRoute = buildSetupRoute(appConfig);
     route(GET, '/api/setup/status', [], setupApiRoute.getStatus, apiResultHandler);
     route(PST, '/api/setup/new-document', [auth.checkAppNotInitialized], setupApiRoute.setupNewDocument, apiResultHandler, false);
     route(PST, '/api/setup/sync-from-server', [auth.checkAppNotInitialized], setupApiRoute.setupSyncFromServer, apiResultHandler, false);
diff --git a/server/src/routes/setup.ts b/server/src/routes/setup.ts
index 66b2c975a..e3987f23c 100644
--- a/server/src/routes/setup.ts
+++ b/server/src/routes/setup.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import setupService = require('../services/setup');
 import assetPath = require('../services/asset_path');
 import appPath = require('../services/app_path');
 import { Request, Response } from 'express';
-import { SetupCompleteCallback } from './types';
+import { SetupCompleteCallback } from '../types';
 
 function buildSetupRoute(setupCompleteCallback: SetupCompleteCallback) {
     return (req: Request, res: Response) => {
diff --git a/server/src/routes/types.ts b/server/src/routes/types.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 898404249..000000000
--- a/server/src/routes/types.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-import { Response } from "express";
-
-export type SetupCompleteCallback = (res: Response) => void;
-
-export interface RouteConfig {
-    /** Callback to be invoked when first setup is complete. */
-    setupCompleteCallback: SetupCompleteCallback;        
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/server/src/services/options_init.ts b/server/src/services/options_init.ts
index e2ba1520a..8e9654f3a 100644
--- a/server/src/services/options_init.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/options_init.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import log = require('./log');
 import dateUtils = require('./date_utils');
 import keyboardActions = require('./keyboard_actions');
 import { KeyboardShortcutWithRequiredActionName } from './keyboard_actions_interface';
+import { InitDbOptions } from '../types';
 
 function initDocumentOptions() {
     optionService.createOption('documentId', utils.randomSecureToken(16), false);
@@ -16,7 +17,7 @@ interface NotSyncedOpts {
     syncProxy?: string;
 }
 
-function initNotSyncedOptions(initialized: boolean, opts: NotSyncedOpts = {}) {
+function initNotSyncedOptions(initialized: boolean, opts: NotSyncedOpts = {}, initOptions: InitDbOptions) {
     optionService.createOption('openNoteContexts', JSON.stringify([
         {
             notePath: 'root',
@@ -32,17 +33,9 @@ function initNotSyncedOptions(initialized: boolean, opts: NotSyncedOpts = {}) {
     optionService.createOption('initialized', initialized ? 'true' : 'false', false);
 
     optionService.createOption('lastSyncedPull', '0', false);
-    optionService.createOption('lastSyncedPush', '0', false);
+    optionService.createOption('lastSyncedPush', '0', false);    
 
-    let theme = 'dark'; // default based on the poll in https://github.com/zadam/trilium/issues/2516
-
-    if (utils.isElectron()) {
-        const {nativeTheme} = require('electron');
-
-        theme = nativeTheme.shouldUseDarkColors ? 'dark' : 'light';
-    }
-
-    optionService.createOption('theme', theme, false);
+    optionService.createOption('theme', initOptions.getInitialTheme(), false);
 
     optionService.createOption('syncServerHost', opts.syncServerHost || '', false);
     optionService.createOption('syncServerTimeout', '120000', false);
diff --git a/server/src/services/setup.ts b/server/src/services/setup.ts
index 08b1ee806..bf7384892 100644
--- a/server/src/services/setup.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/setup.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import appInfo = require('./app_info');
 import utils = require('./utils');
 import becca = require('../becca/becca');
 import { SetupStatusResponse, SetupSyncSeedResponse } from './api-interface';
+import { InitDbOptions } from '../types';
 
 async function hasSyncServerSchemaAndSeed() {
     const response = await requestToSyncServer<SetupStatusResponse>('GET', '/api/setup/status');
@@ -56,7 +57,7 @@ async function requestToSyncServer<T>(method: string, path: string, body?: strin
     }), timeout) as T;
 }
 
-async function setupSyncFromSyncServer(syncServerHost: string, syncProxy: string, password: string) {
+async function setupSyncFromSyncServer(syncServerHost: string, syncProxy: string, password: string, initOptions: InitDbOptions) {
     if (sqlInit.isDbInitialized()) {
         return {
             result: 'failure',
@@ -87,7 +88,7 @@ async function setupSyncFromSyncServer(syncServerHost: string, syncProxy: string
             }
         }
 
-        sqlInit.createDatabaseForSync(resp.options, syncServerHost, syncProxy);
+        sqlInit.createDatabaseForSync(resp.options, initOptions, syncServerHost, syncProxy);
 
         triggerSync();
 
diff --git a/server/src/services/sql_init.ts b/server/src/services/sql_init.ts
index 5c9937daa..89c74fc90 100644
--- a/server/src/services/sql_init.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/sql_init.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ import migrationService = require('./migration');
 import cls = require('./cls');
 import config = require('./config');
 import { OptionRow } from '../becca/entities/rows';
+import optionsInitService = require("./options_init");
+import { InitDbOptions } from '../types';
 
 const dbReady = utils.deferred<void>();
 
@@ -46,7 +48,7 @@ async function initDbConnection() {
     dbReady.resolve();
 }
 
-async function createInitialDatabase() {
+async function createInitialDatabase(initOptions: InitDbOptions) {
     if (isDbInitialized()) {
         throw new Error("DB is already initialized");
     }
@@ -84,10 +86,8 @@ async function createInitialDatabase() {
             notePosition: 10
         }).save();
 
-        const optionsInitService = require('./options_init');
-
         optionsInitService.initDocumentOptions();
-        optionsInitService.initNotSyncedOptions(true, {});
+        optionsInitService.initNotSyncedOptions(true, {}, initOptions);
         optionsInitService.initStartupOptions();
         require('./encryption/password').resetPassword();
     });
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ async function createInitialDatabase() {
     initDbConnection();
 }
 
-function createDatabaseForSync(options: OptionRow[], syncServerHost = '', syncProxy = '') {
+function createDatabaseForSync(options: OptionRow[], initOptions: InitDbOptions, syncServerHost = '', syncProxy = '') {
     log.info("Creating database for sync");
 
     if (isDbInitialized()) {
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ function createDatabaseForSync(options: OptionRow[], syncServerHost = '', syncPr
     sql.transactional(() => {
         sql.executeScript(schema);
 
-        require('./options_init').initNotSyncedOptions(false,  { syncServerHost, syncProxy });
+        optionsInitService.initNotSyncedOptions(false, { syncServerHost, syncProxy }, initOptions);
 
         // document options required for sync to kick off
         for (const opt of options) {
diff --git a/server/src/types.ts b/server/src/types.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5d7eb9d54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/src/types.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import { Response } from "express";
+
+export type InitialThemeCallback = () => "dark" | "light";
+
+export type SetupCompleteCallback = (res: Response) => void;
+
+/**
+ * Options needed when the database is first initialized, such as methods to obtain default values.
+ */
+export interface InitDbOptions {
+    /**
+     * Called during first setup, in order to determine which theme to set for the user.
+     */
+    getInitialTheme: InitialThemeCallback;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Handles differences between clients, for example allowing different behaviour when running from the web server versus the desktop application.
+ */
+export interface AppConfig extends InitDbOptions {
+    /** Callback to be invoked when first setup is complete. */
+    setupCompleteCallback: SetupCompleteCallback;            
+}
diff --git a/server/src/www.ts b/server/src/www.ts
index 8a3e266fa..3956b2a10 100644
--- a/server/src/www.ts
+++ b/server/src/www.ts
@@ -31,9 +31,9 @@ import port = require('./services/port');
 import host = require('./services/host');
 import semver = require('semver');
 import type { Express } from "express";
-import { RouteConfig } from './routes/types';
+import { AppConfig } from './types';
 
-function startTrilium(routeConfig: RouteConfig) {
+function startTrilium(appConfig: AppConfig) {
     if (!semver.satisfies(process.version, ">=10.5.0")) {
         console.error("Trilium only supports node.js 10.5 and later");
         process.exit(1);
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ function startTrilium(routeConfig: RouteConfig) {
 
     log.info(JSON.stringify(appInfo, null, 2));
 
-    const app = buildApp(routeConfig);
+    const app = buildApp(appConfig);
 
     const cpuInfos = require('os').cpus();
     if (cpuInfos && cpuInfos[0] !== undefined) { // https://github.com/zadam/trilium/pull/3957